OVERVIEW

Digital Marketing, like with many other online terms, is just another fancy label used by marketing agencies, to simply refer to various techniques used to market your website, your political campaigns and other services you provide. For example, to promote an event you are organising in your constituency. In its broadest sense, Digital Marketing, Internet Marketing, and Web Marketing, and these alternative terms, are all interchangeable.

Contrary to popular belief, Digital marketing is far more than Facebook Ads and ‘Tweeting’.

“Digital marketing is an umbrella term for all of your online marketing efforts. Businesses leverage digital channels such as Google search, social media, email, and their websites to connect with their current and prospective customers.”

The key to Digital Marketing is recognising that it can be done both onlineandoffline. Both of these methods matter just as much as the other. For example, an attractive political website, with the latest ground-breaking features, is simply just a ‘website’ without an active and large audience using it. Similarly, an event being held in your ward and/or constituency has no hope of being a ‘success’ without a marketing campaign being developed and executed to increase attendance at the event.

Digital Marketing techniques simply aim to achieve your overall marketing goals – be it to increase traffic to your website or, more specific goals, like compiling a large email contacts database so that you can keep voters updated of your work on a weekly basis.

ONLINE VS OFFLINE (DIGITAL) MARKETING

Digital Marketing includes managing different forms of online communications such as a website, mobile apps and social media pages. This is in conjunction with online communication techniques like search engine marketing, social media marketing, online advertising, e-mail marketing and partnership arrangements with other websites. These techniques are used to support your overall political objectives (e.g. gathering support from constituents and to raise awareness of your work within the Labour Party). For marketing to be successful, there is still a necessity for integration of these modern Digital techniques with traditional media such as print, and direct mail.

Online (Digital) Marketing

The 6 key categories of Online Marketing are:

Website Design (user experience)

Email Marketing

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Content Marketing

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)

Offline (Digital) Marketing

Examples of various Offline (Digital) Marketing techniques are:

Telephone Canvassing/Marketing

Leafleting (e.g. door-to-door delivery of a leaflet designed using Microsoft Word/Publisher)

Hosting & Sponsoring Events (with the use of e.g. a power-point presentation)

Billboards

Text message marketing

ONLINE VS OFFLINE (DIGITAL) MARKETING - WHICH IS BETTER?

The short answer is that one is no better than the other, each Online and Offline Marketing technique has its own benefits and strengths. Online and Offline Digital Marketing should and can work together. They each have their own benefits and strengths.

For example, delivering a ‘Newsletter’ to all constituents in your area, door-to-door, 3 times a year, works hand-in-hand with emailing the same constituents information on your work on a more frequent (weekly) basis.

It would be a mistake to think, for example, that one Digital Marketing technique is the ‘best’ for ‘winning’ an election. It is vital to ensure that whichever Digital Marketing techniques are used, each blends seamlessly with the other and each builds upon the weaknesses of the other. For example, holding a fixed advice surgery in your local library for constituents, could also be provided alongside an online advice surgery via Skype.

DIGITAL MARKETING // END GOALS

One of the common mistakes made by people and organisations starting any online campaign is to take an overly generalised and untargeted approach in their communications. For example, it would not be unusual to hear someone say, ‘let’s do Facebook’ or ‘let’s do videos’, without first asking:

why should I use these marketing techniques;

what do I hope to achieve by using each marketing technique;

how do I use these marketing techniques effectively in order to achieve my intended goals and;

how do the marketing techniques chosen work alongside the other offline marketing techniques being used.

A Digital Marketing plan should always be approached with the ‘End Goals’ in mind. It is one thing knowing ‘how to do something’ from a technical standpoint, like, for example, uploading videos to Facebook, instead of considering:

Why we’re doing it;

What do we hope to achieve and;

Asking ourselves if we are using the right techniques to gain the best results we want.

One practical example of an ‘End Goal’ for Labour members in office is to ‘get elected’. As part of the process of achieving that end-goal, there are a number of cumulative ‘Goals’ that need to be met in order to achieve that overall aim.

The aim will be for you to engage with as many constituents as possible in your ward and/or constituency;

For you to build up a trusting relationship with constituents and for you to convince them that you are the best candidate to represent them in office;

For constituents to see and like you as a person first, and a politician second;

For you to ‘beat’ the messages being put out by opposition members;

For you to communicate the work that you are doing in the ward to your local party members; and

For you to use the limited time you have in the most efficient way possible.

HIRE US // 24/7 SUPPORT

The skilful use of various Digital Marketing techniques can be the difference between success and failure towards your overall marketing goals (e.g. getting elected). When the difference between success and failure can be as little as 10 votes in an election, the Digital Marketing technique(s) chosen can be vitally important.

Our team have expertise over many years in constructing and implementing effective, and successful, marketing campaigns on behalf of politicians across the UK.

Would you like us develop and deliver your Digital Marketing goals? Our team would love to hear from you. Please contact us on [email protected] and a member of our team will be on hand to help.

Get in touch

We believe in offering you an unrivalled service, one that supports you every step of the way. Whether you require technical support, need assistance or have any questions, we are always at hand to help.

You will experience friendly on-going assistance from the same project team that delivered your site, with 24/7 direct access to the developers.

Support to us is beyond a ‘reference number’ and through a ‘ticketing’ system. We treat all our clients like members of our business, and always with the highest professionalism and personal service in mind.

If you would additional information, advice, or support, you contact us by e-mail ([email protected]), on Facebook or by completing the online contact form below.

All messages sent using the online contact form or by e-mail will be replied to the same day.

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About ePolitixDesign

With over 10 years’ experience within the Labour Party and politics and a #1 Google ranking, ePolitixDesign is the UK’s leading Web Design & Digital Marketing agency for Labour Party members in office. Labour members and groups using ePolitixDesign can expect a 24/7 service, with support staff always on hand to help.